After an unexpected weeklong break reminding me just how much LotGH improved Tuesdays (hint: a lot), we finally return to the two way slugfest set to get a whole lot more serious. With Iserlohn captured and Yang back home victorious it’s now time to deal with what comes next for the FPA, and as more than a few likely predicted, peace is not part of the equation. Oh yes boys and girls, it’s invasion time.

While the sly opportunism infecting the FPA leadership could be gleaned before with the introduction of Trunicht, this week gave us the first real taste of the Alliance’s true state of affairs. Much like the Empire the FPA has in a sense lost its way, replacing wasteful decadence with corrupt selfishness and a struggle for survival with a moral crusade for “justice”. Its leadership (barring a brave few) care not for those they claim to represent, either too firmly ensconced in their own visions of grandeur, or arrogantly convinced of their own moral superiority. It is, in effect, a clinic on the downsides of (representative) democracy, showing how even the supposedly pure principles of liberty and freedom can be easily twisted to better a chosen few, should the right circumstances arise. As LotGH will keep hitting home again and again, no system of government can or will ever be perfect.

Part of what makes the FPA’s political situation so poignant though is the arguable realism of it. The state, for all intents and purpose, is at the end of its rope, effectively running on fumes as the harsh reality of economics makes its presence felt, manpower (particularly in technical fields) starts being stretched thin, and people begin to question the very purpose of the war. Peace may be the logical option, but when combined with political circumstances and personal pride what is a simple choice becomes anything but. Britain for example struggled through this same situation in May 1940, although unlike it the FPA doesn’t have an apparent Churchill to rally around and carry on the fight. Sure there’s the current council head and Trunicht, but as Trunicht’s dissenting vote should highlight, our war chief has some doubts as to the invasion’s success. Not over the cost of lives mind you (that’s a minor detail), but for the potential to make political hay out of any defeat. Should the invasion fail Trunicht gets off untainted and winds up in a great position to become FPA leader, while if it succeeds he can claim to have presided over a massive Alliance victory—either way, boost in prestige. Whether or not it plays out like that is up in the air obviously (no plan ever works the way it’s supposed to), but you can bet the likes of Trunicht will find a way to remain at the top, one way or another.

One potential upset to invasion of course lies with Fezzan and the proper reveal of Rubinsky. Fezzan’s place in narrative is likely confusing for first-time viewers at the moment—i.e. neutral third power—but its financial clout alone should indicate the importance of this seemingly random planet. By acting like a Twentieth Century USA (look no further than World War I), Fezzan effectively controls the economic interests of key sectors in both the FPA and Empire, enough that if push came to shove it could cripple one or both states without lifting a military finger. What would cause Fezzan to wage such a war of course is a mystery at the moment, but Rubinsky’s musings over a New Galactic Empire should be hint enough. Unfortunately for Reinhardt there’s another party determined to see new leadership at the top of Empire, and this one plans on keeping it very friendly towards certain interests.

One way or another the winds of political change in LotGH are slowly speeding up, and as Yang and Reinhardt will both quickly learn, its effects on them and their respective countries will be far beyond their wildest imaginations.

Preview

27 Comments

Finally got around to watching this and I couldn’t stop. This show is great.

It´s easy to talk about justice when other people are dying for your ideals ans those asshole only belive in political power not in all that greater justice crap. Good and evil exist but it´s almost impossible to label a country as evil just because thier ideas and culture are different, unless they´re Nazis.

It’s sadly a trait of many who wind up in power, especially those who squeaked in due to connections or family history. When all you’ve known is people looking up to/obeying you it’s easy imagining your thinking is the only way, with everyone else just unable to understand.

It’s not just the US, many democracies are experiencing similar issues with power and control becoming more important to political leaders than actually running things. Up here in Canada for example we have a serious oil pipeline debate threatening to turn into a constitutional crisis because the party in charge (Liberal) managed to back itself into a corner by chasing after reelection before national interests.

The only good news is such “phases” are known to happen in democracies: the Depression era for example saw the same issues play out throughout North and South America, and post-war France and Italy nearly tore themselves apart from it. Whether we can similarly restore a sense of balance though is anyone’s guess.

– They will not sell enough weapons that people even buy over their food, to kill their archenemy first…(When the last Tree is cut, the last Flower is dead, then Humanity will see that Money can not be eaten)

– They would lose the flood of Power while at War, and nobody like the tide and go back under the stone they just left (To stay on the Top, they kick down the others)

– With Power at War they have the right to make Laws as they see fit and excused it for sacrifice of peace and welfare, until the War is won of course. if you against the Law, then you are against the Country and an traitor (The old Black and White stuff)

– These Mass Produced Spaceships needs resources in Money, materials and Manpower… So Money is needed and now ask how is the benefactor of this here? an part of the answer is hidden in my first line. (Also my finger points out to “Babylon 5” and the Membari worker class raise in Power to prevent that)

Reminds me of how Germany is currently governed. Moral replaces politics. No one cares about practically feasible and realistic solutions. Every form of critical discussion becomes invalid because moral beats everything. And of course, the politicians can afford to trumpet about moral superiority since none of them will ever be confronted with the harsh reality and suffering of those of their people who arent that well off.

Well at least none of them hope they will be confronted, all it takes is one serious event like an economic collapse—I mean Depression-level 30% unemployment cannot feed your family collapse—and these leaders will quickly discover what streetlights can also be used for.

As I like to term it modern democratic leaders play a game a musical chairs, they do and discuss whatever they feel like while hoping their political rivals will be the ones left standing—i.e. in charge—when the music stops.

Oh yeah definitely, but for the purpose of leadership there’s a difference between world ending event and temporal economic recession. The latter might see us change our current leadership, potentially government system if serious enough, but the former would end everything we take for granted.

Relating to that though it’s not something pleasant to think about, especially if you have any knowledge on modern food logistics and agricultural requirements. So many people have no idea how screwed they are if the lights go out for only a week or two.

Even more ironic is the fact that victory was meant as a mean to find a peaceful solution to the war not to scalated it into full blow invasion…. dear gods politician are a buch selfish assholes either be in fiction, fantasy or real life.

It’s kind of sad that it always needs a depression or some grand tragedy for society to wake up. Perhaps every society that has been living in a financially stable environment for a long time will eventually come to forget about the basics. Previous generations have toiled away to live a better life and the generation now only knows how to consume the results of previous generations. People nowadays take the basics for granted and instead aim for lofty goals such as “saving the world” when they have much more pressing problems such as decaying schools, lousy age care, or the erosion of democratic values.

And the truly sad thing is it seems like they have a parlementry democracy so why not accept you lose the next election figure out how to improve the party and if your correct the other sides policies will fail wait to come back into power. Getting a large number of people killed just to stay in power awhile longer is hideous. And you know you have a military genius why not ask his opinion first. Rarer during a actual war as it goes on but this episode showed another reason Military commanders often are picked because they tell the politician what they want to hear with the person telling them this without a clear idea they are actually good at strategy thus getting some of the total incompetents in the job that the military, especially in peacetime, has.
The council did seem to give the reason this war has been able to go on and on for more than a century. Each side has only gone into battle when their economy could handle the load and up to this point avoided going to total war footing where you resolve the war or face economic collapse if you don’t. There were probably many years both sides did no offensive operations.

Geez, I expected as much. Instead of consolidating on Iserlohn and making peace, even if only for some time foolish warmongers and political opportunists decide toi invade the Empire.
And Empire of course will STRIKE BACK.
Thats what Empires do…
The smug snake from the neutral faction forgets all his assets and wealth can be easily taken away from him at gunpoint, by either faction.
Ever heard onf nationalization of assets?
Power rises from the barrel of a gun. – Mao